Seminarian in France- Day 4
- adunsy
- Apr 14, 2023
- 2 min read
The Beach. A bit of change of sceanery and pace, today we headed toward the west coast and in what is probably the most famous shoreline in recent history through what we know as D-Day. In June 1944 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed at five beaches along 50 miles of the coast of Normandy in what was to result in the liberation of Western Europe.
The Normandy American Cemetery at Omaha beach of American soliders that died in the invasion 9,386 are buried in this cemetery.
There is a museum and memorial of the invasion.
The grounds are manicured meticulously in giving it an distinct American feel.
The Omaha beach resembles some of the beaches on the Eyer Penisular.
The chapel in the center of the cemetery.
Inside the chapel in the center of the cemetery.
Just down the road from Omaha beach is the town of Bayeux. It is the main cathedral for the area, and known as Our Lady of Bayeux.
The stunning exterior is matched buy a stunning interior. You can see a clear difference in style to the Italian basilicas, the French lends itself to more gothic styles with piontier arched roofs higher ceilings and more datails on the pillars and plainer walls. What I noticed about the Normandy churches is there use of the lighter glass in the windows to make the most of the limited sunlight they receive during the day.
Altar.
After we said our afternoon prayers it was off to to see the cities other main attraction, the Bayeux tapestry. Along the way we saw a still functional water wheel operating in a stream.
They Bayeux tapestry is a hand threaded tapestry depicting the Duke of Normandy, William's conquest of England in 1066. It dates back to the 11th century and was probably made to adorn the newly built cathedral in Bayeux, which was completed in 1077. It is currently diplayed in mueseum in Bayeux and it spans almost 70 metres long.
The day started with a conquest of Normandy and ended with a conquest from Normandy, both these events show the significance this region has played in world events and how it has affected the peoples spirituality along the way. That was enough for one day our last day in Normandy tomorrow and that was in Liseux.
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